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ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
IJESRT
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES & RESEARCH
TECHNOLOGY
govindanformegcek@gmail.com
Abstract
Electrical discharge grinding (EDG) is a hybrid process involving energy of sparking as well as mechanical
grinding. The machining of thin and fragile material is very difficult for manufacturing industries and rapid demand
of requirement could not be achieved. Electrical discharge machining is more acceptable machine tool for
machining hard and brittle electrically conductive materials but its productivity is very low. In past decade,
researchers have focused on EDG for machining these materials because there is no mechanical forces exerted on
work piece during machining and it gives better performances than EDM due to the rotating speed of wheel.
Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the array of research works carried out on EDG process. It also
focuses on recent developments for practical applications.
Keywords: EDG, material removal, mechanical forces, sparking action, abrasive particle, productivity.
Introduction
Electrical discharge grinding (EDG) is a
non-traditional thermal process for machining hard
and brittle electrically conductive materials. EDG has
been developed by replacing the stationary electrode
used in electrical discharge machining (EDM) with
rotating electrode [1-3]. In EDG process, material is
removed melting and vaporization as same as EDM
process. But there are ample differences with EDM
instead of mechanism of material. In EDG process,
an electrically conductive wheel is used as a tool
electrode instead of stationary tool electrode used in
EDM. There is no contact with work piece and tool
electrode (rotating wheel) except during electric
discharge [4-6]. Due to the rotational motion of
wheel electrode, the peripheral speed of wheel
transmitted to the stationary dielectric into gap
between work piece and wheel resulting flushing
efficiency of process is enhanced. Therefore, the
molten material is effectively ejected from gap and
no debris accumulation take place into gap while in
EDM debris accumulation is major problem which
adverse effect on performances of process [1,2]. Due
to the enhanced in flushing, higher material removal
and better surface finish is obtained as compare to the
conventional EDM process [3]. At the same
machining condition, EDG gives better performances
than EDM and it is machined extremely hard
materials faster (2-3 times) as compare to the
conventional grinding [6-8]. The high speed of wheel
Principle of Working
The details of EDG process have been
illustrated in Fig 1 and wheel-work piece interaction
is shown in Fig. 2. In this process, a rotating
electrically conductive metallic wheel is used which
is known as grinding wheel. The grinding wheel used
in this process, having no any abrasive particles and
rotates its horizontal axis. Due to the similarities of
process with conventional grinding and material is
removed due to the electrical discharge, it is known
as electrical discharge grinding (EDG).
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
debris from gap and formed the crater on work
surface.
Many research and developments [1-8] have
been done in field of EDG for machining difficult
machine materials. In this process, a rotating
electrically conductive wheel is used for spark
erosion and simultaneously enhances the flushing due
to the rotational motion of wheel. There is many
developments are found in particular process,
depending on type of wheel and its rotation that are
used in EDG process. These developments are
implemented with two types of grinding wheels.
Firstly, grinding wheel without abrasive particles
while others is grinding wheel with abrasive
particles.
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
self-dressing, where the electrical discharges
simultaneously wear away the workpiece and wheel.
A schematic diagram of the mechanism of workpiece
and wheel contact region with abrasive grits, metallic
bond and embedded or lodged workpiece chips in the
wheel are shown in Fig. 6.
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
It was observed that the orbital motion of the
electrode for improving the machining rate and the
results were compared with stationary electrode.
They have found that orbital motion of the electrode
enhanced the performance and MRR increases with
rotation of electrode due to improved flushing action
and sparking efficiency; however the surface
roughness is increased. It has been experimentally
proved that rotating workpiece gives two times more
MRR as compare to the conventional EDM but this
process is most suitable for axial-symmetrical die and
mold work. Further, MRR, TWR, relative electrode
wear, corner reproduction accuracy and surface finish
aspects of a rotary electrode are better as compare to
stationary electrode. This is because the rotation
speed of electrode would convey a velocity to the
dielectric in the gap hence more effectively flushing
take place in the gap but at higher rotating speeds
result in discharge instability resulting lower MRR
with improve in surface roughness.
The EDG process can be modified by
locating the rotating electrode below workpiece as
shown in Fig. 9. It is evident that due to gravitational
force debris removal rate was significantly improved
resulting higher MRR with better finish with rotating
workpiece below workpiece. The effect of vibrationrotary EDM as compare to the vibration EDM on
MRR is high with higher surface finish has been
obtained. It is found that the combination of
ultrasonic vibration enhanced the performances of
rotary EDM and rotation of electrode leads to
increase the MRR but simultaneously TWR and Ra
values is also increased. The angle speed of
workpiece and tool electrode should not be too high
otherwise working fluid cannot enter into discharge
gap under centrifugal effect of rotating wheel which
plays adverse effect on the performances.
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852
Applications: Additional benefits include grinding
forces, lower grinding wheel wear, and an effective
method for dressing of grinding wheel during
machining process. Electro-erosion process could
also be applied in profiling of super-hard metal
bonded wheel. This process has also been found to be
effective in preventing chipping of the brittle work
pieces. AEDG of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), Inconel
601, Al-SiC (DURALCAN F3S.20D), PCD, and
PCBN have been reported in references [1-8]. Main
parameters influencing the process were peak current,
pulse on-time and wheel speed. The enhancement of
the material removal rate on introducing abrasion into
the process has been studied in comparison to
conventional EDM and EDM with a rotating graphite
electrode (EDG).
Conclusions
In this paper, the published research works
on EDG process along with the process parameters
and their effects on performances are analyzed.The
following conclusions can be drawn from this review
of research works on the EDG process:
References
[1] K.M. Shu and G.C. Tu, Study of electrical
discharge grinding using metal matrix
composite electrodes, International Journal
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
ISSN: 2277-9655
Impact Factor: 1.852